Roller contact for hinged conductors



Sept. 26, 1944. A. c. SCHWAGER ETAL 2,359,055

ROLLER CONTACT FOR HINGED CONDUCTORS FiledOct. 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l .24 a3 I o I VENTORS Aususr C! cum/Isak f Por 1i. Gcenea Patented Sept. 26, 1944 UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE ROLLER CONTACT FOR HINGED CONDUCTORS August 0. Schwa'ger, Millbrae, and Roy H. Gerard, Oakland, Oalif., assignors to Pacific Electric Manufacturing Corporation,

San Francisco,

Calif., a corporation of California Application October 11, 1941, Serial No. 414,650

Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical apparatus, and more particularly to an improved device for establishing a current carrying connection between articulately connected current carrying members.

An object of the invention is to provide a new avoid the passage of current through the pivotal.

support of the switch blade, to provide a current conducting shunt or jumper from the switch blade to the pivot and terminal supporting standard. These shunts or jumpers must of necessity be made of good current conducting material and in practice they are formed of copper ribbon or small wires. While these expedien-ts provide a good electrical connection between the stationary terminal supporting means and the movable switch blade, they are open to the objection that the copper conductors become corroded and eventually break, due to the frequent flexing thereof. It is, therefore, a further object of the invention to provide a means for establishing and maintaining a good electrical connection between the stationary terminal and the movable blade of a circuit controlling switch which will overcome the above .difiiculty.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a circuit completing connection between relatively hinged current conducting members which can be concealed and enclosed to thus protect it against damage or the accumulation of ice and snow, which might interfere with its efficient operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein there is "shown by way of illustration and not of limitation, .a mumber of embodiments thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a modification of the invention adapted for use with two flat current conducting members,

Figure 2 is a plan view partially in section of the device illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a high potential disconnecting switch with the device of Figure 1 embodied therein,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan View with parts broken away and partially in-section showing details of th switch of Figure 3,

"Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation in sectionshowing the invention as applied to a hori- "zontally swinging switch blade, and

Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show the modifications of the invention as applied to a switch of the character illustrated in Figure 5.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings the invention is shown as applied to two copper current conducting members l0 and H which'are pivotal- 'ly secured together side by side upon a shaft I3 that forms .a hinged connection therebetween. As shown in Figure '2, the shaft 13 is provided at its ends with washers l4 that are secured thereupon by means of studs 15. These washers M serve to hold .the two current conducting members 10 and H in a uniformly spaced manner upon the shaft 13. The copper conducting member ID carries a contact forming member it that is rounded off at itsouter edge so as to provide a rounded annular contact surface I! which is concentric to the axis of the shaft [3. Likewise, the current conducting member ll carries a contact formingmember l8 which is rounded oii at its outer edge so as to provide an annular contact surface 19 which is also concentric to the axis of the shaft I3. Disposed between these contact forming members 16 and l8 and surrounding the shaft It, there is an annular ring-like supporting member 26 which carries a'plurali-ty of radialiy extending spindles 2i, upon each of which there is both slidably and rotatably mounted a conical contact engaging roller 22. These contact engaging rollers 22 are held in peripheral engagement with the concentriccontact surfaces I1 and IQ of the contact members l6 and It by means of compression springs 23 which are held in a compressed manner between complementary spring seats 24 by means of a nut and check nut 25 which are adjustably threaded upon the outer ends of the spindles 2i.

With the above arrangement it will be seen thatwhen the compression springs :23 are adjusted to exert a substantially uniform pressure upon the several conical contact engaging rollers 22, the entire assembly, including the annular ring-like supporting member 20 with its spindles 2] and the rollers 22, will freely float about the,

shaft l3 and, as a result, when the current conducting members |6 and II ar moved with relation to each other about the shaft I3, the contact engaging rollers 22 will roll in peripheral engagement over both of the concentric contact surfaces l1 and H! upon the contact forming members l6 and Hi and thus maintain a good electrical contact therewith through which current may pass from one to the other'of the current conducting members In and II. If the device is to be used where it will be exposed to corrosion, it will be understood that the contact members l6 and i8 and the contact engaging rollers 22 may be made of a non-corrosive metal. Or, as an alternative, the concentric contact surfaces H and i9 and the contact engaging rollers 22 may be provided with a silver plating upon their engaging surfaces.

In Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings the invention is shown as applied to a high potential disconnecting switch. This type of switch is gen-' erally installed outdoors, as upon a transmission line supporting tower, or upon the structure of an outdoor sub-station. The switch is here shown as mounted upon two insulators 26 and 21 and is adapted to be operated through the medium of a third and rotatable insulator 28. The insulators 26 and 21 are secured in spaced relation upon a support 29, and the insulator 28 is journaled upon the support 29 bya bearing 35. Pivotally mounted at the upper end of the insulator 21 there is a switch blade, 3| that cooperates with and engages a stationary contact 32 at the upper end of the insulator 26. stationary contact 32 has a terminal boss 33 to which a line conductor 34 is connected. At its pivotal end the switch blade 3| also has an'operating lever 35 that is connected by means of a link 36 to a crank arm 31 secured to the upper end of the rotatable insulator 28, and extending from the pivotal point of the switch blade 3| to the upper end of the rotatable insulator 28 there is'a spacing strut 38 which carries a terminal The boss 29 to which a power line conductor 48 is connected. This spacing strut 38 also serves to provide a bearing for the upper end of the insulator 28 and holds it in proper operating relation.

with the axis of the switch blade 3|.

As is more clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the spacing strut 38 is provided with an enlarged annular portion 4| which a switch blade supporting shaft 42 extends. This enlarged portion 4| of the spacing strut 38 carries an annular flange 43 which, in conjunction with a cooperating flange 44 carried by the switch blade 3|, forms an enclosing housing at one side of the switch blade. Arranged within the housing providedby the flanges 43 and 44, as described above, the switch blade 3| carries an annular contact member 45 that is chamfered at its outer edge to form a substantially conical contact surface 46 which is concentric to the axis of the switch blade 3|. Arranged opposite the contact member 45, the enlarged portion 4| of the spacing strut 38 carries a second contact member 47 which is likewise chamfered at its outer edge to provide a substantially conical contact surface 48 which is concentric to the axis of the shaft 42.' Cooperating with and engaging the annular contact surfaces 46 and 48 there is shown a plurality of contact engaging rollers 49 which, like the rollers 22 above described, are rotatably mounted upon spindles 5|] carried by a floating annular at its inner end through,

illustrated in Figure 4 as being chamfered to' provide substantially conical contact surfaces 46 and 48, these contact surfaces may take other shapes. It. is also conceivable that one of these contact members may be provided with a substantially conical contact surface, while the other or cooperating contact member is provided with a rounded contact surface. In either event, it will be readily seen that, because of the free floating characteristic of the supports 20 and 5| and the fact that the contact surface engaging rollers 22 and 49 are each individually held in peripheral engagement with their adjacent concentric contact surfaces, they will individually adjust themselves in'wedging relation between the contact surfaces so as to provide a good electrical connection between the hinged relatively movable current conducting members.

Reference is now made to Figure 5 and to the remaining figures of the, drawings for a detailed description of other variations or embodiments of the invention. As illustrated by Figure 5, the invention is applied to a disconnecting switch of the type having a circuit controlling blade that moves in a horizontal plane. Switches of this character are less expensive than the one above described and are generally mounted upon a pole or transmission tower which supports the high potential transmission power line. This switch comprises a blade 53 that cooperates with a stationary contact (not shown) which is. mounted upon a suitable and properly spaced insulating support. The'switch blade 53 is secured upon an insulator cap 54 that is carried by an insulator 55 which is adapted to be rotated about its vertical axis by any of the operating means now commonly used for this purpose. Extending outwardly from the cap 54 there is an arm 56 that is secured to the switch blade 53 by means of a screw 51. This insures that. the switch blade 53 will turn with the insulator. 55 when it is rotated as above indicated. The insulator cap 54 also carries an upwardly extending shaft 58 about which a relatively stationary terminal supporting member 59 is journaled. This terminal supporting member is generally held at its outer end (not shown) by a fixed support where it connects with the terminal of the power line at one side of the switch. On its under side this terminal supporting member 59 is shown as having a central bearing forming hub 60 and also a raised and concaved annular contact surface 6| which is concentric to the axis of the shaft 58. Arranged opposite to this raised contact surface 6| upon the terminal supporting member 59, the

' switch blade 53 is shown as provided with a confaces 6| and 63, there is a plurality of contact engaging rollers 64 which, in this instance, have semi-spherical outer surfaces. These contact engaging rollers 64 are shown as positioned in or plated contact surface 14.

Operative peripheral engaging relation with the concaved contact surfaces BI and 63 by means of radially extending spindles 65 that are carried by an annular supporting member 66, and surrounding each of these spindles 65, there is a suitable compression spring 61 for each of the contact engaging rollers 64. It will be noted that the annular supporting member 96 is out of contact with the hub 60 so that it may float with respect thereto and thus insure a substantially uniform wedge-like engagement of all of the contact engaging rollers 64 with the cooperating raised contact surfaces BI and 63. With this last above described arrangement it will be readily seen that when the switch blade 53 is rotated about its pivotal axis, the contact engaging rollers 64 will roll over the concentric contact surfaces BI and B3 and thus at all times maintain a good electrical connection between the switch blade 53 and the relatively stationary terminal supporting member 59.

In connection with the remaining figures of the drawings it will be understood that the general configuration of the several stationary terminal supporting members and the character of the switch blades and their supporting and operating insulators will be substantially identical to that described above in connection with Figure 5 of the drawings,

In Figure 6 of the drawings the switch blade, designated-by the numeral 68, is shown as pivotally mounted upon a vertically disposed shaft 99 that is carried by the insulator cap 54. This shaft 59 has a shouldered portion I9 which cooperates with a suitably shouldered hub II formed upon a stationary terminal supporting member 12. In this embodiment the hub II is shown as provided with a plated or raised contact surface I3, and the switch blade 68 has a similar raised Cooperating with these plated contact surfaces 13 and Hi there is a plurality of radially spaced and dished or cupped roller forming discs I5 that are journaled upon spindles 16 that extend radially outward and upwardly from a suitable annular supporting member 'II that is adapted tofloat both axially and radially about the shaft 69. In this embodiment the roller forming discs I5 are also each shown as biased into good contact making peripheral engagement with the contact surfaces I3 and I4 by means of helical springs I8 which are secured upon the spindles I6 by'suitable means.

In Figure 7 of the drawings the switch blade, designated by the numeral i9, is shown as mounted upon its supporting insulator cap 54 with an upwardly extending shaft 89 that turns freely within a depending hub 8| carried by a stationary contact supporting member 82. In this embodiment, like that illustrated in Figure 6 of the In Figure 8 of the drawings the switch blade, designated by the numeral 89, is shown as mounted upon its supporting insulator cap 54 with an upwardly extending shaf 99 that is freely rotatable within a depending hub portion 9| formed upon a stationary terminal supporting member 92. In this embodiment the switch blade 89-is shown as provided with a raised or plated contact surface 93 that is disposed concentric to the axis about which the switch blade pivots, and the hub 9| is shown as provided with a conical or diagonally disposed cooperating annular contact surface 94. Disposed between and in engagement with the raised annular surfaces 93 and 94 there is a plurality of radially spaced balls or contact rollers 95 which are held in peripheral engagement with the contact surfaces 93 and 94 and through which current may flow from the switch blade 89 to the stationary terminal supporting member 92. It will be understood that these balls or contact rollers 95 may be provided in sufiicient number to completely surround the circumference of the hub 9i, or they may be held in spaced relation by a bail retainer, as is I common practice with ball bearings.

Engaging the outer surface of these balls or contact rollers 95 there is a free floating annular ring 96 that drawings, the hub 8| is provided with a raised or plated contact surface 83 and the switch blade I9 has a similar raised or plated contact surface 8 3 that is concentric to the shaft 80. Cooperating with these raised contact surfaces 83.and 84 there is a plurality of cupped discs 85 which are held in radially spaced relation about the axis of the shaft 89 by means of cooperating spindles 89 that are carried by a free floating annular support 8'1, and surrounding each of these spindles 86 there is a helical spring 88 that serves to bias the cupper discs 85 into good contact making peripheral engagement with the concentric contact surfaces 83 and 84 as the switch blade is moved about its pivotal axis.

is held into pressure exerting relation therewith by means of a plurality of axially extending compression springs 91 that ar carried by the stationary terminal supporting memebr 92.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings the switch blade, designated by the numeral 98, pivots with its supporting insulator cap 54 about the axis of an upwardly extending shaft 99 that is freely rotatable within a depending hub I09 carried by a stationary terminal supporting member IIZI. As here shown, the switch blade 93 carries an annular and upwardly extending contact member I02 that is chamfered so as to provide a substantially conical contact surface I03, and arranged axially opposite to this raised annular contact member I92, the hub I is provided with an oppositely disposed substantially conical contact surface I04. Mounted also in peripheral engagement with the contact surfaces I99 and I94 there is a plurality of balls or roller contacts I05 which are held in equally spaced relation about the axis of the shaft 99 by means of a ball retainer I06. Cooperating with these balls or roller contacts I05 there is also shown a free floating pressure exerting means whichcomprises two spaced rings I01 and I08. Ihese rings I01 and I08 are chamfered at their inner edges to provide opposed conical surfaces that engage the balls or roller contacts I95 'in a manner similar to the latters engagement with the conical contact surfaces I03 and I04. The ring I98 is slidably mounted upon a plurality of spaced studs I09 that are carried by the ring I01, and surrounding these studs I99 and disposed between the ring I98 and washers and nuts III! at the outer ends thereof, there are suitable compression springs III. With this arrangement the springs III will bias the rings I91 and I08 toward each other and thus the balls or roller contacts I95 will be wedged between and caused to maintain a good current conducting contact with the conical contact surfaces I99 and I04 carried respectively by the switch blade 98 and the stationary terminal supporting member IOI.

In Figure 10 of the drawings the switch blade, designated by the numeral H2, is shown as mounted upon a rotatable pedestal-type insulator having a cap 54 similar to that above described. The cap 54 also carries an upwardly extending stub shaft H3 that extends through a hub H4 of a stationary terminal supporting member H5 which is secured at its outer end where the line conductor is connected thereto. The stub shaft I I3 is shown as having a threaded nut H6 at its outer end which serves to hold the stationary terminal supporting member H5 thereupon. In this embodiment the switch blade H2 carries a contact forming member HI that turns therewith and upon which there is formed a raised annular contact surface H8. Arranged outwardly from the annular contact surface H8 the stationary terminal supporting member H5 has a depending skirt-like portion H9 upon which there is formed a raised contact surface I20 that is disposed at a right angle to the raised contact surface H8 carried by the switch blade H2. Positioned in engaging relation with the raised contact surfaces H8 and I20 there is a plurality of balls or roller contacts |2l that are adapted to maintain a current conducting circuit between the switch blade H2 and the stationary terminal supporting member H5. For the purpose of maintaining the roller contacts l2l in good peripheral contact making engagement with the raised contact surfaces H8 and H25], there is an anuular pressure exerting ring I22 that is chamfered at its lower outer edge 50 that it will become centered between the roller contacts 12!. A spring 123 is provided for exerting a downwardpressure upon the ring I22.

In connection with all of the above described embodiments of the invention, it will be noted that the contact establishing rollers are either carried by a free floating support, or are biased into engagement with their cooperating annular contact surfaces by a free floating pressure exerting means and, as a result, the individual While'we have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose the invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated specific devices and arrangements, we desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an articulated current conducting device, the combination of a shaft, a pair of current conducting members mounted upon said shaft and adapted to rotate relative to each other, means carried by each of said current conducting members forming opposed conical C011". tact surfaces thereupon concentric to the axis of said shaft, conical contact making rollers arranged radially about said shaft and constrained to roll on the conical contact surfaces of said first means, and radial pressure exerting means for forcing said conical contact making rollers 1 into good contact making engagement with the conical contact surfaces of said first means. 7

2. In an articulated current conducting device, the combination of a shaft, a pair of curing members, a free floating annular support disposed about said shaft between said current conducting members having radially extending spindles, a substantially conical contact making roller mounted upon each of said spindles and adapted to engage the raised contact surfaces upon said current conducting members, and spring means associated with each of said contact making rollers for holding them in good current conducting contact with the raised contact surfaces upon said current conducting members.

3. In a circuit controlling switch, the combination of a supporting shaft, a switch blad pivotally mounted upon said shaft, means carried-by said switch blade forming a contact surface concentric to the axis of said shaft, a current conducting member disposed in axially spaced relation to said switch blade, means carried by said current conducting member forming a second contact surface concentric to the axis of said shaft, a free floating annular support having a plurality of spindles extending radial to the axis of said shaft, a contact making roller mounted upon each of said spindles and engagin the annular contact surface forming means upon said switch blade and upon said current conducting member, and spring means associated with each of said rollers for holding them in good electrical contact with said annular contact surfaces.

4. In a circuit controlling switch, the combination of a supporting shaft, a switch blade pivotally mounted upon said shaft, means upon one side of said switch blade forming a contact surface concentric to the axis of said shaft, a current conducting member disposed in axially spaced relation to said switch blade, means carried by said current conducting member forming a second contact surface concentric to the axis of said shaft, a free floating support disposed between said first and second annular contact surfaces having a plurality of spindles extending radial to'the axis of said shaft, contact making rollers mounted upon said spindles between the annular contact surfaces upon said switch blade and upon said current conducting member, and spring means associated with each of said rollers for holding them in wedging engagement with the annular contact surfaces upon said switch blade and said current conducting member.

5. In a circuit controlling switch, the combination of a pivotally mounted switch blade, a relatively stationary terminal carrying member mounted in axially spaced relation along the pivotal axis of said switch blade, means upon the switch blade forming an annular current carrying contact surface concentric to its pivotal axis, means carried by said relatively stationary terminal carrying member forming a second and axially spaced annular current carrying contact surface concentric to the pivotal axis of the rent carryin contact surfaces being developed along lines disposed at an angle to each other, a plurality of radially spaced current conducting rollers positioned in peripheral engagement with and between said annular current carrying contact surfaces, spring means for exerting a contact producing pressure upon said current conducting rollers, and means for retaining said spring means in an operative position where the direction of the pressure exerted upon said conducting rollers will be along a line substantially bisecting the angles along which said current carrying contact surfaces are developed.

6. In a circuit controlling switch, the combination of a pivotally mounted switch blade, a relatively stationary terminal carrying member mounted in axially spaced relation along the pivotal axis of said switch blade, means upon the switch blade forming an annular current carrying contact surface concentric to its pivotal axis, means carried by said relatively stationary terminal carrying member forming a second annular current carrying contact surface concentric to the pivotal axis of the switch blade, said first and second annular contact surfaces being developed along intersecting angles and disposed in opposed spaced relation to each other, circuit completing means between said annular current carrying contact surfaces comprising a plurality of radially spaced current conducting conical rollers, and spring means for retaining said current conducting rollers in high pressure contact with each of said annular contact surfaces as said switch blade moves about its pivotal axis.

'7. In a circuit controlling switch, the combination of a pivotally mounted switch blade, a relatively stationary terminal carrying member mounted in axially spaced relation along the pivotal axis of said switch blade, means upon the switch blade forming an annular current carrying contact surface concentric to its pivotal axis, means carried by said relatively stationary terminal carrying member forming a second annular current carrying contact surface concentric to the pivotal axis of the switch blade, said first and second annular contact surfaces being developed along intersecting angles and disposed in opposed spaced relation to each other, circuit completing means between said annular current carrying contact surfaces comprising a plurality of radially spaced current conducting balls, and spring means for retaining said current conducting balls in high pressure contact with each of said annular contact surfaces as said switch blade moves about its pivotal axis.

8. In a circuit controlling switch, the combination of a supporting shaft, a switch blade pivotally mounted upon said shaft, means carried by said switch blade forming a. contact surface disposed in a plan transverse to the axis of said shaft, a current conducting member disposed upon said shaft in axially spaced relation to said switch blade having an angularly disposed contact surface concentric to the axis of said shaft, a free floating support disposed between said contact surfaces, a plurality of contact surface engaging rollers carried by said support, and spring means exerting a pressure upon said rollers along a line substantially bisecting the angle between said annular contact surfaces for holding said contact surface engaging rollers in good electrical contact with the contact making surfaces upon said switch blade and said current conducting member.

. 9. In an articulated current conducting device, the combination of tWo relatively hinged current conducting members, means carried by each of said members forming annular current carrying contact surfaces concentric to the axis about which said members are hinged, said annular current carrying contact surfaces being developed along intersecting angles and disposed in opposed relation to each other, a plurality of rollable current conducting contact member disposed between and in peripheral engagement with each of the annular current carrying contact surfaces carried by said means, spring means operating to exert a contact producing pressure upon said rollable current conducting members, and a support for said spring means, whereby the pressure exerted thereby upon said rollable members will be along a line substantially bisecting the angles along which said annular contact surfaces are developed.

10. In an articulated current conducting device, the combination of two relatively hinged current conducting members, means carried by each of said members forming annular current carrying contact surfaces concentric to the axis about which said members are hinged, said annular current carrying contact surfaces being in the form of conic sections disposed in opposed relation to each other, rollable contact members having a spherical surface disposed between and in peripheral engagement with each of the annular current carrying contact surfaces, an annular spring retaining device disposed adjacent said contact surfaces, and spring means carried by said annular retaining device for exerting a pressure upon said rollable contact members along a line substantially bisecting the angle between the surfaces of the means forming said annular contact surfaces.

AUGUST C. SCHWAGER. ROY H. GERARD. 

